1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly, to a repair system for a liquid crystal display and a method for repairing a liquid crystal display using the same, in which a plurality of repair lines are formed side by side on the sides of the signal input/output for the efficient restoring of severed signal lines.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIGS. 1a and 1b are schematic plan views of the conventional repair line systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,973, the disclosure of which is herein expressly incorporated by reference.
Referring to FIG. 1a, the closed loop repair line system to U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,973, includes a closed loop repair line 7 formed around a display having gate lines 1 and data lines 2 formed to cross each other and forming a pixel at each crossing point. Each line is connected to an electrode 4a or 5a, respectively, on the signal input side of the display (the bottom side and the right side of FIG. 1a) and an electrode 4b or 5b (the top side and left side of FIG. 1a), respectively, opposite the side of the signal input.
In a liquid crystal display having the conventional closed loop repair line system 7, upon the occurrence of a severed line 3 in the gate line 1 or the data line 2, the severed line (the gate line 1 in FIG. 1a) is connected to the repair line 7 with a conductive material 8 on the side of the signal input as well as on the side opposite the side of the signal input surrounding the display. That is, a severed gate line 1 or a data line 2 can be repaired using the repair line 7 surrounding the display allowing input of a signal even to the severed line on the side severed opposite the signal input electrode 4a and 5a.
FIG. 1b illustrates a repair line system having opened portions at opposite sides of the repair line system.
Referring to FIG. 1b, the repair system includes two repair lines 7a and 7b each having open points 6 formed at opposing sides of the display and formed around the display having the same gate lines 1 and data lines 2 as depicted in FIG. 1a.
In this repair system, breaks or cuts in lines 3 occur in the gate lines 1, each of the severed lines (the two gate lines 1 in FIG. 1b) are connected to the respective repair line 7a or 7b with a conductive material 8, on the side of the signal input as well as on the side opposite the signal input side, surrounding the display. That is, two severed gate lines 1 can be repaired using the repair lines 7a and 7b surrounding the display to allow input of a signal even to the severed line on the side opposite to the side of the signal input electrodes 4a and 5a.
However, both the conventional closed loop and simple opened line repair system have drawbacks. First, with the closed loop repair system multiple severed lines are not repairable. The repair of a severed line using the closed loop repair line system also increases the line resistance, which impedes the transmission of signals. Second, the simple opened repair line system can repair multiple severed lines, although severed lines lying adjacent to each other are not repairable.